Walking is the best form of rest for my body

I have discovered that walking is the best for of rest for my body after any kind of stressful experience, whether it is strenuous workout, a stressful day at work, menstrual cramps, a headache, or any other kind of discomfort.

Monday I did an hour and 15 minutes of power yoga, 20 minutes of ellipticals, and a full hour of Zumba. I got home very tired and I was sore the next day. I planned to rest and not doing any form of exercise the next day to allow my body to recover, but then my sister asked me to go to the mall with her. We spent two hours in the mall; about half of it was spent walking.

Since the muscle groups involved in walking are different from the muscle groups involved in the workouts the previous day, it didn't put stress on those muscles.

Resting after an intense high impact or strength training workout does not mean sitting home doing nothing. That just adds to the pain and discomfort. Walking releases endorphins—our natural painkillers—which helps me cope with the fatigue or soreness that results from the previous stressful workout.

I could actually feel the endorphins kicking in after the walk in the mall. I ate a moderate diner when I got home that was filling and fulfilling, and then slept like a baby.